Portable beverage cooler retention device for vehicles with tailgates

ABSTRACT

A portable beverage cooler retention device for use in vehicles equipped with a fold-down tailgate is comprised of a pair of triangular uprights pivotally attached to the inside wall of a tailgate by a pair of transverse mounting plates; the uprights including locking means for maintaining their perpendicular orientation relative to the planar surface of the tailgate during use and further including container support means for the pendulous support of a cooler there between. When properly seated in the cooler mounting means, the subject portable beverage cooler retention apparatus provides a means for 1) automatically moving the cooler from the cargo area (when the tailgate is closed) to an easily accessible position above the tailgate (when the tailgate is lowered to its open position); and 2) restricting movement of the cooler within the cargo area during transport.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The subject invention relates generally to an accessory device forvehicles having fold-down tailgates and to a portable beverage coolerretention device therefore, in particular.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Portable beverage coolers such as the heavy-duty 5-gallon type producedby Igloo® Products, Inc., are popular among owners of utility vehiclesand pick-up. trucks having a cargo area suitable for their storage andtransport. The traditional construction of a utility vehicle's cargospace or “bed” includes an area defined by a floor panel, three uprightsidewalls, and a pivoting substantially rectangular tailgate. Thetailgate may be hingedly attached to either a sidewall, in which case itpivots along a vertical axis, or may be of the fold-down type wherebyits opposite ends are hingedly attached to the floor panel of the bedalong a horizontal axis. In a fold-down tailgate arrangement, the insidesurface of the tailgate faces the cargo space when the tailgate is in aclosed upright position and extends substantially horizontally to therear of the bed when the tailgate is in an open position. The subjectinvention is an accessory device for utility vehicles having tailgatesattached by this latter method.

Heretofore, the storage and transportation of portable beverage coolerswithin the cargo area of pick-up trucks and the like has not beenwithout complications. One problem is that the manipulation of thesecontainers within the cargo area can be difficult, particularly when thecontainer is filled with liquid because its overall weight can exceed 40pounds. For instance, the filled container must be moved usingconsiderable force from the tailgate of the vehicle into the cargo areafor storage and transport, and then moved once again back onto thetailgate during use (it is typically desirable to orient the spout ofthe container over the edge of the tailgate to accommodate the fillingof cups). Movement of a heavy cooler into and out of a cargo area isparticularly challenging in fold-down type tailgated vehicles becausethe lowered tailgate impedes access to the bed, and access to the coolerfrom either side of the vehicle is impeded by the side walls of the bed.

One invention which has posited a solution of the above problem isdisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,588,720 issued to Revette in July of 2003.Revette teaches a holder for a portable water cooler designed to bemounted onto the inside of the side of a bed of a pickup truck. Thewater cooler holder has a cylindrical container-like member which holdsthe water cooler therein which member is mounted onto a frame whichpivots from a first downward position to a second upward position sothat the water cooler can be accessed from the outside of the bed of thepickup. A significant shortcoming of the Revette device is thatconsiderable force is required to lift the holder from its loweredstowage position to its raised operative position above the wall towhich it is mounted. Given the weight of a filled cooler, such anundertaking would likely require the user to step into the cargo areaitself to have sufficient leverage to lift the container. A Herculeaneffort would no doubt be required to lift the container to its uprightoperative position while standing outside the vehicle bed.

Another problem associated with the storage and transport of portablebeverage coolers within vehicle cargo areas is the propensity of thecontainer to shift when exposed to the forces of a moving vehicle. Suchmovement can be moderate, resulting in the mere nuisance of having thecontainer shift towards the front of the vehicle and therefore out ofreach, or more severe, resulting in the overturning of the container andspillage of its contents.

Several U.S. Patents have been issued for carriers intended to restrictthe movement of articles within a vehicle's cargo area. For instance,U.S. Pat. No. 3,765,635, entitled BRACKET FOR GAS CONTAINERS AND SIMILARTANKS, discloses a support plate which may be bolted or screwed to atruck wall and a collar bolted to the support plate. The collar is madeof two semicircular pieces, hinged together at one end. An upper flangeof a tank may be placed within the collar and the pieces may be clampedtogether opposite the hinged ends, securing the tank. One shortcoming ofthis device is that it interferes with the use of the truck bed when notin use. The only way to recover the space occupied by the bracket is tounbolt it from the bed wall and remove it entirely.

Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,860, entitled MOUNTING RACK, teaches a waterjug carrier for truck beds. The device is comprised of an attachmentplate with a bracket that is bolted to a wall of the bed and severalremovable components attached to the bracket for retaining the jug inplace. Here again, the components occupy a significant amount of spacewithin the cargo area and the only way to recover the space is to leavethe removable parts of the rack behind.

Based on the above, it is clear that it would be of benefit to have aportable beverage cooler retention device which is collapsible into acompact, space saving configuration when not in use. While not directedto an apparatus for holding coolers, U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,849 discloses asafety carrier for stabilizing a pressure-fluid bottle in an uprightposition in a vehicle's cargo area. The bottle retention ring of thisdevice may be selectively changed by a user, without disconnecting fromits mounting frame, between an operative configuration and a stowageconfiguration. In the operative configuration, the ring is generallyhorizontal and projects out over the pickup box's floor to receive thebottle. In the stowage configuration, the ring is rotated to a generallyvertical position and the arm is pivoted to swing the ring flush againstthe wall of the bed. Unfortunately, such an assembly would not work whenmounted to a fold-down tailgate.

It is clear that a significant need exists for a cooler retention devicethat is 1) usable in vehicle's having a fold-down tailgate, 2) capableof securing the cooler in place during storage and transit, 3) obviatesthe need to manually drag the cooler from the cargo area onto thetailgate and vice versa for use and storage of the cooler, respectively,and 4) is selectively changeable from an operative configuration whenretaining a cooler to a stowage configuration when not in use. None ofthe references described above, alone or in combination, teach a devicehaving all of the above benefits and capabilities.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The subject invention more specifically relates to a portable beveragecooler retention device for use in vehicles equipped with a fold-downtailgate and is comprised generally of a pair of triangular uprightspivotally attached to the inside wall of a tailgate by a pair oftransverse mounting plates; the uprights including locking means formaintaining their perpendicular orientation relative to the planarsurface of the tailgate during use and further including containersupport means for the pendulous support of a cooler there between whenthe device is in its operative configuration. When the locking means aredisengaged, each upright may be folded in substantially parallelrelationship with the planar surface of the tailgate, one upright on topof the other, such that the entire apparatus forms a compact, stowageconfiguration when not in use. Thusly configured, the subject deviceoccupies only minimal space in the vehicle's cargo area.

When properly seated in the cooler mounting means, the subject portablebeverage cooler retention apparatus provides a means for 1)automatically moving the cooler from the cargo area (when the tailgateis closed) to an easily accessible position above the tailgate (when thetailgate is lowered to its open position); and 2) restricting movementof the cooler within the cargo area during transport.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more importantfeatures of the invention in order that the detailed description thereofthat follows may be better understood, and in order that the presentcontribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course,additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafterand which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. Inthis respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the inventionin detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited inits application to the details of construction and to the arrangementsof the components set forth in the following description or illustratedin the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and ofbeing practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to beunderstood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are forthe purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. Assuch, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, uponwhich this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis forthe designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying outthe several purposes of the present invention. It is important,therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalentconstructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope ofthe present invention.

Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S.Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially thescientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiarwith patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from acursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure ofthe application. The abstract is neither intended to define theinvention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is itintended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.

It is, therefore, a primary object of the subject invention to provide aportable beverage cooler retention device for use in vehicles equippedwith a fold-down tailgate.

It is also a primary object of the subject beverage cooler retentiondevice is to provide a means for automatically moving the attachedcooler from the cargo area to an easily accessible position above thetailgate when the tailgate is lowered to its open position.

Another primary object of the subject portable beverage cooler retentiondevice for use in vehicles equipped with a fold-down tailgate is toprovide a means for restricting movement of the cooler within the cargoarea during transport.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a portablebeverage cooler retention device which is relatively light weight andcapable of being folded into a compact unit relatively flush with theinside wall of the tailgate when the device is not in use.

It is also an object of the subject invention to provide a portablebeverage cooler retention device for pickups that may be easily andquickly mounted to the interior of a vehicle's tailgate.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a portablebeverage cooler retention device which is relatively inexpensive tomanufacture and thereby affordable to the average consumer of suchproducts.

These together with other objects of the invention, along with thevarious features of novelty which characterize the invention, arepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming apart of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention,its advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, referenceshould be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter inwhich there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood and objects other than those setforth above will become apparent when consideration is given to thefollowing detailed description thereof. Such description makes referenceto the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the subject portable beverage coolerretention device shown in its operative configuration and mounted on avehicle's tailgate;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the invention of FIG. 1 shown collapsedinto its stowage configuration during non-use;

FIG. 3 is a side perspective view of the subject invention with aportable beverage cooler mounted thereon and situate over the planarsurface of a tailgate, the invention being in its operative position;and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the subject invention with a portablebeverage cooler mounted thereon and situate within the cargo area of thevehicle during storage and/or transport of the cooler (i.e., with thetailgate in its closed position).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Reference is now made to FIG. 1 in which there is illustrated in cutawayview the cargo area of a conventional pickup truck, of the fold-downtailgate type, to which the portable beverage cooler retention devicemay be mounted. It should be immediately understood that the subjectinvention may be employed on other vehicle types having a fold-downtailgate such as utility vehicles and station wagons, for instance.

Before the objects and advantages of the subject invention can beappreciated, it is helpful to understand the general construction of thevehicle tailgate assembly and its inherent problems. To this end, thevehicle's cargo area 10 is an open space defined by a bed or floor panel12 situate in substantially horizontal orientation and havingperpendicularly attached thereto two upright side walls 14 which areoriented in parallel relationship to one another along a vertical plane.An essentially rectangular tailgate 16 is connected at both ends to theinterior panels 18 of sidewalls 14 by conventional hinges 20 or othersuitable coupling means. Attachment of tailgate 16 in this mannerpermits pivotal rotation about horizontal axis 22, as indicated bydirectional arrow 24, between open and closed positions. When closed(FIG. 4), tailgate 16 occupies a substantially vertical plane and liesperpendicular to floor panel 12. When open, tailgate 16 is situate in asubstantially horizontal orientation substantially coplanar with floorpanel 12 and essentially forming a rearward extension thereof. Tailgaterestraining means 26 connected between each interior panel 18 and thesides 28 of tailgate 16, limit opening of the tailgate to the horizontalplane. Restraining means 26 are typically of the flexible cable type orare comprised of articulated linkage.

With continued reference to FIG. 1, the subject invention morespecifically relates to a portable beverage cooler retention device foruse in vehicles equipped with a fold-down tailgate and is comprisedgenerally of a pair of uprights 30 pivotally attached to the inside wall32 of a tailgate 16 by a pair of transverse mounting plates 34 which arefastened using a plurality of screws. Each upright 30 preferably, butnot essentially, is triangular in shape as defined by vertices A,B and Cand sides a,b and c. Although uprights 30 are illustrated in the form ofisosceles triangles, angle ABC may also be a right angle. As will beseen from the description below, the greater angle ABC is, the furtherspout 36 (FIGS. 3 and 4) of beverage cooler 38 (FIGS. 3 and 4) willextend past the edge of tailgate 16 when in the lowered position. Theextension of spout 36 beyond the edge of tailgate 16 facilitates theemptying of the cooler's contents into cups and the like.

As stated, each upright 30 is capable of pivotal rotation about its sidea and is secured in a position perpendicular to the planar surface oftailgate 16 using locking means 40 which in the instant example arecomprised of conventional spring loaded locking pins. Thusly oriented,the subject portable beverage cooler retention device is in its“operative configuration” or “operative position”, ready to receivecooler 38 (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

Each upright 30 further includes a reinforcement brace 42 extending fromvertex A along a length of sides b and c which adds structural integrityto angle CAB. Cooler mounting means are also provided for the removablemounting of cooler 38 to the subject cooler retention apparatus. In oneembodiment, cooler mounting means may be comprised of a docking pin andreceiver assembly as shown. The assembly includes a tubular receiver 44pivotally mounted to each brace 42 in close proximity to vertex A ofupright 30. Each receiver 44, therefore, is capable of rotation aboutits point of attachment 46 along the planar surface of brace 42. Eachreceiver 44 is adapted to receive therein a corresponding cooler dockingpin 48 which is fixedly attached to cooler 38 using conventionalmounting hardware. It should be further noted that when uprights 30 areoriented in their operative configuration, an axis of rotation, parallelwith the longitudinal axis of tailgate 16, is defined by each point ofattachment 46 about which a cooler 38 may swing (FIGS. 3 and 4). As maybe appreciated, other means of pivotally mounting cooler 38 to thesubject device may also be employed without departing from the spirit ofthe invention as claimed.

Referring now to FIG. 2, when locking means 40 are disengaged, eachupright 30 may be rotated downward along their respective arc path 50,and folded one on top of the other, in substantially parallelrelationship with the planar surface 32 of tailgate 16. Thuslypositioned, the subject portable beverage cooler retention device formsa compact, “stowage configuration” which occupies a minimal amount ofcargo space when the device is not in use.

Reference now being made to FIGS. 3 and 4, the subject portable beveragecooler retention device may be observed in its operative configurationwith a cooler 38 mounted thereon. Note that spout 36 of cooler 38extends beyond the leading edge of tailgate 16 when in its horizontal,lowered position (FIG. 3). This position facilitates the filling of cupsor other containers which may be positioned immediately below the spout,unimpeded by tailgate 16. As may be readily appreciated, tailgate 16 maybe selectively moved between open (FIG. 3) and closed (FIG. 4) positionscausing the relocation of cooler 38 from its easily accessible positionabove the tailgate to its stored position inside the cargo area,respectively. Note that the lifting of tailgate 16 will cause cooler 38to pivot 90 degrees about its aforementioned axis of rotation betweeneach vertex A of uprights 30.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to theparticular embodiments herein set forth, it is understood that thepresent disclosure has been made only by way of example and thatnumerous changes in details of construction may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the scope ofthe invention should not be limited by the foregoing specifications, butrather only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

1. A device for the pendulous support of a portable beverage cooler onthe inside wall of a fold-down tailgate of a vehicle, the devicecomprising: 1) a pair of uprights perpendicularly attached to the insidewall of a tailgate, and 2) container support means for the penduloussupport of the cooler between said uprights, whereby the container issupported in an upright position whether the tailgate is open or closed.2. A device for the pendulous support of a portable beverage cooler onthe inside wall of a fold-down tailgate of a vehicle, the devicecomprising: 1) a pair of uprights pivotally attached to the inside wallof a tailgate, 2) locking means for maintaining said uprightsperpendicular to the planar surface of the tailgate, and 3) containersupport means for the pendulous support of the cooler between saiduprights, whereby the container is supported in an upright positionwhether the tailgate is open or closed.
 3. A device for the penduloussupport of a portable beverage cooler on the inside wall of a fold-downtailgate of a vehicle, the device comprising: 1) a first uprightperpendicularly attached to the inside wall of a tailgate, 2) a secondupright perpendicularly attached to the inside wall of the tailgate at adistance from said first upright sufficient to accommodate a beveragecooler there between, and 3) container support means for the penduloussupport of the cooler between said first upright and said secondupright, whereby the container is supported in an upright positionwhether the tailgate is open or closed.